Seven days, seven countries – and the C-Class Coupé.

Start in Porto.

Our road trip began with a flight from London to Porto. We will be on the road in a car which combines athleticism with design. We don’t have to search for long before spotting the car which will accompany us for the next seven days – the C-Class Coupé is already waiting for us, safe and sound in a multi-storey car park within the airport grounds. The designo hyacinth red metallic paintwork is an outstanding match for the sporty Coupé silhouette. Excitedly, we start the powerful 245 hp four-cylinder turbocharged engine and leave the airport car park accompanied by a beefy sound from the sports exhaust system of the C 300 Coupé. We set the heading for Porto's city centre.

The C-Class Coupé: sporty meets comfort.

The C-Class Coupé proves itself to be a great choice of vehicle for this trip, combining comfort with a sporty set of genes. After a relaxed ride on the motorway, we take an exit which leads us along one of the winding out-of-town roads of Portugal. Here, the dynamic C-Class Coupé feels at home. As do we. A brief press is all it takes to change the DYNAMIC SELECT drive programme and thus adjust the characteristics of the engine, transmission and steering from the "Comfort" setting to "Sport Plus". Then we set out on the hunt for winding roads. Amazed by the dynamism with which the car tackles the curves, we almost feel reluctant to stop and take a few photos of the desert-like backdrop. But there’s no time for lingering around: ahead of us are still more than 3000 kilometres. We start the engine and head off in the direction of Ávila in Spain.

Flowing forms. Beautiful backdrops.

In the area around the border with Spain we encounter the next tasty treat for the eyes – and for the lens: we drive over a reservoir dam and look down on a body of water whose surface is so smooth today that the entire mountainous scenery surrounding it is depicted as a mirror image.No need to explain that the C-Class Coupé with its flowing forms has the perfect figure for a photo in front of this dreamy landscape.There is no doubt about it: it’s one of the most beautiful border crossings we have ever experienced. But we have to continue our journey – onwards to Ávila.

Viva Ávila!

The sun has already set as we roll into Ávila in the C-Class Coupé. Surrounded by immense town walls, this historical town has existed since Roman times and is merely a 90-minute drive northwest of Spain’s capital, Madrid. We shoot a couple more photos and park the car outside the town walls so as not to lose ourselves in the network of one-way streets and tight alleyways from the Middle Ages with which the entire town is riddled. A walk around the town walls offers you an amazing view of the magnificent old town – especially in the evening when the walls are bathed in mood lighting by a series of lamps. Meanwhile, on the way to Segovia, the vehicle’s LED Intelligent Light System proved to be a great help: thanks to the adaptive light functions, the headlamps adjust automatically to typical driving situations and weather conditions. On the rural routes, the near-side of the road is illuminated more brightly and broadly. From 90 km/h, motorway mode is activated automatically and increases the visual range.

Segovia – modern meets history.

Segovia isn’t just where our hotel is located, it’s also the starting point for a trip out to the mountains of Andorra tomorrow in the C-Class Coupé. Before checking in to the hotel, we fit in a night-time photoshoot in front of the huge aqueduct. It runs directly through Segovia’s city centre and, measuring in at up to 28 metres in height, it is impossible to overlook this wonder. In former times, it was used for transporting fresh spring water from the mountains of the Sierra de Fuenfría around 17 kilometres away to Segovia. Despite the structure having been built during Roman times, it was still being used until as recently as 1974 – a truly impressive piece of history. Less impressive, on the other hand, is the weather report for tomorrow: a bad weather front is expected for Andorra. The decision is easy to make: we will set out directly for Barcelona instead.

Barcelona: a town resembling a work of art.

Seven hours and a little more than 700 kilometres later, we find ourselves in Barcelona. We cruise into the town, which is equally as fascinating as it is chaotic; a perfect place to test out the sound of the Burmester® surround-sound system. Through 13 speakers, David Bowie's "A Reality Tour" concert sounds as if we were directly in the hall in front of the stage. Thankfully, we find a free parking space directly next to the world-famous Sagrada Família. Despite the impressive church still being under construction, it is the unmistakable emblem of the Catalonian capital. Wandering through the city centre, something becomes increasingly apparent: Barcelona has a unique atmosphere – it’s a melting pot of art and savoir-vivre, coupled with a charming coast which stretches right up as far as the town. We would happily stay a couple of days longer but unfortunately, we need to continue our journey.

A special type of acquaintance.

Shortly after the border with France, we become acquainted with something rather special: in total, it has 32 cylinders, 16 litres of displacement and around 2000 horsepower – it’s not just one, but three Mercedes-AMG GT cars accompanied by a Mercedes-AMG C 63. Even the test drivers were rather shocked to bump into a brand-new C-Class Coupé here, of all places. Everyone agrees: the AMG Line and Night package fitted to the Coupé fit in perfectly with the four AMG models. After a brief bit of small talk between petrol heads, we bid them farewell. We have to carry on in the direction of Antibes.

Between yachts in Monaco.

A trip through the south of France without a short pit stop in Monaco?Unimaginable! Thus we don’t miss the chance to complete a lap in the C-Class Coupé – with the obligatory photo in the hairpin bend, of course. As we drive out of the tunnel in the direction of the renowned "Nouvelle Chicane", we suddenly find ourselves in good company: in the marina, a number of jewels can’t wait to be photographed with the C-Class Coupé. The car is perfectly suited to this area.

A driving experience which reaches all the senses.

During the final stage from Turin to Stuttgart, we not only get to see the weather from its finest side, but also the C 300 Coupé. On the wonderful mountain passes of Switzerland, the dynamic chassis shows the true strengths of its 4-link front axle featuring wheel suspension which is decoupled from the spring strut. The result is that it offers lots of grip, can withstand high lateral forces and manages time and time again to bring a smile to the driver’s face. The engine sound of the 245-hp, two-litre, four-cylinder engine ensures acoustic pleasure is also on hand. It’s just such a shame that even the longest of road trips must inevitably come to an end. A few hours later, we arrive at our destination, the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. And so a journey with innumerable impressions in an elegant yet sporty C-Class Coupé must also draw to a close after precisely seven days and 3355 kilometres. It was a true driving experience for all the senses.